Best Time To Move to Australia

by Jay
(India)

I am planning to move to Australia in the first quarter of 2010. The thought of starting a new life in a foreign country is scary but, at the same time, exciting. There are so many things that I need to know before I make my move and your website has given me a lot of insight into starting a new life there! Nonetheless I am still left with a few questions.

In your opinion what is the best time to make your move to Australia? Taking into consideration, the school year, job availability and the climate? (Is there a time to avoid?

Do you feel that the global recession has affected life in Australia? If yes, in what way?

If you have a Permanent Residence is it best to start looking for jobs a month before the actual move?

Is there a huge difference in the quality of education between public and private schools for children? How expensive is education at private schools?

How safe are the major cities of Australia? Which is the safest city? Your ranking of cities based on the safety and security?

Is there a bank you would recommend to newcomers to open an account? Is it advisable to open a bank account from overseas before moving?

It would be great if you could also provide some info on the expenses one can expect when moving first time. The cost of basic food commodities (eg: vegetables, milk, meat, bread, beverages etc..), the approximate cost of renting houses in the different cities, the cost of buying a second hand car, utility bills, house hold commodities, furniture, electronics, clothing and any other expenses you can think of!

Once again I would like to thank your sincere efforts in gathering and providing this information to many people like me who value first hand experience from earlier migrants like you.

Sincerely,

Jay

Answer

Thank you for your feedback and questions. I can relate to them and understand how you feel.

I'll try to answer one by one and also direct you to pages that give more details.

The best time to come to Australia is...anytime. It really depends on individual preferences, for example if you manage to get a cheaper airfare at a certain period, use this to your advantage.

Media reported that consumers are now spending less on their credit cards, which is not bad.

However I did not see shop assistants in the big malls sitting idly. Whether it's clothing outlets or white goods or electronics, they all look lively. Which reminds me that I need to update the Australia economy page. Come and check it later.

Jobs - You can start looking for a job as early as possible to see how things work. The odds of actually getting one before arriving are not very high, unless your occupation is in extreme demand.

But browsing Australian jobs ads will help understand what is on offer and the requirements. Here are some search tips.

I think education in Australia is good quality at both private and public schools. Our children went to both. One reason for going to a private school is the network it helps create for your kids. As they say it is more who you know rather than what you know.

But private schools don't come cheap and each school has their fees. With some - a couple of thousand dollars per year, with others above $20000.

Safety - Australia is a safe country. From time to time you may hear about a brawl here, road rage there or some other bad news. There is no such thing as a perfect place in this world. But I think Australia is much safer than anywhere else.

I cannot rank the cities. We have only lived in Sydney but have friends in other cities and haven't heard them complain.

Banks in Australia are very strong and secure, any of them would be good for newcomers. You need to search their websites and see which appeals to you.

It is easy to open an account as soon as you arrive. Read more tips about your first day after moving to Australia.